BYU basketball: Haws’ 24 points lead Cougars over Weber State
BYU basketball picked up its fifth-straight victory on Saturday night, defeating the Weber State Wildcats in the Beehive Classic, 74-68.
For BYU basketball, a win is a win is a win. It wasn’t pretty, but the Cougars picked up a six-point victory over Weber State.
The Wildcats stuck around for the entire night – something that most figured wouldn’t happen. But the Cougars matched them blow-for-blow and never trailed in the second half.
TJ Haws led the way for BYU basketball, scoring a season-high 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting (4-of-6 from 3-point range). It was his second 20-point game of the week, so it’s safe to say he’s well beyond his cold streak that began against UMass.
Yoeli Childs added a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds), but was the victim of some questionable officiating. Elijah Bryant chipped in with 13 points and Jahshire Hardnett added a (Division-I) career-high 11 points.
While it’s always a good thing to get a win, this game does generate a bit of concern for BYU basketball.
Weber State was without two of its four top players – Brekkot Chapman and Zach Braxton – and still gave the Cougars all they could handle. Not to mention, BYU basketball had no answer for Jerrick Harding, who scored 29 points.
Next up for BYU is a home contest with the Utah Utes next Saturday.
Three Things We Learned
1. The defense still needs work. Granted, there’s no shame in giving up 68 points. By all accounts, that’s a really solid night. But the Cougars really had no way to slow down Harding (except for McKay Cannon in the last two minutes). Harding won’t be the most talented guard the Cougars will face this season, so it will be crucial to tighten things up.
2. TJ Haws is back. When Haws is on his game, BYU basketball is just a different team. His skill set is so diverse, it really gives a whole new dimension to the Cougar offense. In two games this week, Haws scored 20 and 24 points, his highest-scoring games of the season. Hopefully Haws has no trouble staying hot next week against the Utes.
3. Dalton Nixon is a really important piece. Nixon has played well all season for the Cougars, but many were dismissive of his impact. It appears he’s the clear cut sixth man for BYU, and he provides a ton of hustle and grit. Here’s hoping he has a speedy recovery.